NEW YORK // A chilly climate isn’t keeping Norway from basking in the glow of being named the world’s happiest country. It surged from fourth place in last year’s UN assessment all the way to the top spot, according to the World Happiness Report 2017 released on Monday. Other top countries on the list included Nordic neighbours Denmark and Iceland, as well as nearby Switzerland. “All of […]
UAE-based mother, baby and child e-commerce website Mumzworld has commenced talks to raise new funds for expansion across the non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, its founder says. In February 2016, the company successfully closed its Series B funding with multi-million dollar investments led by Wamda Capital, twofour54, and Endeavor Catalyst, aimed to support its expansion in the GCC. “We are now across the GCC. The UAE and […]
The captions may be brief but the portraits are both striking and revelatory. One photograph is that of an imam in Lanzhou, Gansu province, known for his laughter. Another is that of an imam from Quanzhou, Fujian province, whose child has surpassed his father’s warrior-like skills, embodying the wisdom of the dragon while striking a pose like a tiger. They form part of a new exhibition at […]
KUWAIT: Saudi armed forces, as well as those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and some US military on Sunday started the Eagle Resolve 2017 military exercises in Kuwait.Lt. Gen. Mohammed Khaled Al-Khader, chief of general staff of Kuwait’s Army, attended the activities along with the leaders of the army units participating in the exercise.Al-Khader delivered a speech at the start of the exercise, praising the […]
It’s in facials, on cappuccinos and most recently on the award-winning Burg Khalifa. But what is gold leaf like to work with when it comes to more permanent projects? We speak to a variety of artists about this tricky material. newslide Gold-leaf gilder All that glitters is gold at Emirates Palace. Most of the ceiling and many of its walls, totalling a one-kilometre surface, are covered in […]
An advance alert was issued on Sunday following a sandstorm that hit the western city of Jeddah and other areas of Saudi Arabia. “Jeddah was on advance alert this morning but the condition is mild now,”said Hussein Al-Qahtani, official spokesperson of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (PME). Jeddah’s case is the lowest on the scale of climate severity, he said. The sandstorm, named Madar […]
UAE-based Aster DM Healthcare is in discussions with its banks to change some terms of a syndicated loan to counter difficult business conditions, including delays to payments it is owed, sources familiar with the matter said. The company, which operates hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in the Gulf and India, raised a multi-tranche syndicated loan equivalent to about AED600 million ($163 million) in March last year, Thomson Reuters […]
With GCC governments placing so much emphasis on start-ups as the backbone of a stronger, non-oil based economy, people would be forgiven for thinking it was all about quantity over quality. In fact, in an interview two years ago, a senior official at Abu Dhabi government leading on the UAE’s ‘Takamul’ patenting initative, came right out and said it. He told Arabian Business that the quality of […]
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the Social Media Week in Kuala Lumpur, April 23, 2015. ― Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will not be airing the live telecast of a debate between former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh […]
18 March 2017 Dubai, UAE – The UAE’s wise leadership has worked tirelessly to anticipate the future, as a fundamental element of its strategies and plans. The vision of the UAE’s leadership, led by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and HH Sheikh […]
Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had completed all necessary arrangements for Iranian pilgrims to attend the annual haj pilgrimage, the official SPA news agency said, an issue that has created tensions between the two regional powers in the past. The news agency said the arrangements were completed after a meeting took place with an Iranian delegation on February 23. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on March […]
The 11th edition of Art Dubai closed yesterday and it was, according to its director Myrna Ayad, another success. “We had very positive feedback from galleries, artists and visitors and it was an exciting first edition for me,” she says. “I’m already looking forward to next year’s edition as well as to develop and grow the fair alongside the team.” Other than Ayad herself, who is new […]
AJMAN // Four adventurers drove 1,400 kilometres to a far-flung area of Oman and planted the UAE flag on one of the world’s highest sand dunes. The members of the UAE Adventure Club, a non-profit organisation that teaches people about the desert and off-roading, made the trip to Mazyouna province, in the south of Oman near the Yemen border, aiming to become the first to raise the […]
The GCC mobile phone market returned to growth in the final quarter of 2016 after suffering three consecutive quarter-on-quarter declines, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). The global technology research and consulting firm said the region saw the shipment of 5.98 million units in Q4, up 7.7 percent on the previous quarter. When viewed year on year, however, the shipment numbers for Q4 were still down […]
ADEN: A Houthi missile attack Friday killed 26 members of pro-government forces in a camp east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, hospital officials in the town of Al-Maarib said. The news agency of the internationally recognized government said the attack took place during Friday prayers in Al-Maarib province, eastern Yemen. The death toll is expected to rise, it said. A loyalist military source said the attack targeted […]
DUBAI Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, who was on an official tour in Asia, has left China to head back to his kingdom, the state news agency SPA reported on Friday. Saudi Arabia’s octogenarian monarch, who has overseen the launch of an ambitious economic reform plan since his accession two years ago, was on a month-long tour of Asia that took him to Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China. […]
Beijing, China – 16 March 2017 On the sidelines of King Salman bin Abdulaziz visit to China and during the 2017 ‘Saudi-China Investment Forum’, Huawei Tech. Investment Saudi Arabia and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu have signed a milestone agreement to establish a training academy and a smart city innovation center in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, accelerating smart city deployment in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. […]
UAE-based retailer Paris Gallery has announced plans to open 30 new stores across the Middle East over the next five years. The company said in a statement that its expansion would focus mainly on the Gulf region and would see its workforce grow to about 5,100 employees, up from 3,500. The total projected retail area in operation will reach 3.2 million square feet by 2021, it added. […]
By Priceonomics Data Studio Each year, the State Department issues dozens of advisories with the intent of keeping Americans safe as they travel abroad. What countries are targeted by these advisories, and what risks do Americans face by visiting them? Are State Department advisories effective in keeping American travelers safe? We decided to investigate what are the most dangerous countries for American to visit as measured by […]
Photo Muslim pilgrims circled the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca last year. Credit Nariman El-Mofty/Associated Press BEIRUT, Lebanon — Saudi Arabia said on Friday that Iranians would be able to participate in this year’s hajj pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a rare bright spot in relations between the two regional rivals. No Iranian pilgrims attended the hajj last year because of […]
Photo Some of the Somali migrants who died, in the Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, on Friday. Credit Abduljabbar Zeyad/Reuters SANA, Yemen — More than 30 Somali migrants in a vessel off Yemen were killed on Friday in what Yemeni security officials said was an airstrike by a Saudi-led military coalition. Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, said that […]
Composer Mohammed Fairouz is somewhat of a rarity. Not only is he an Emirati working in the western classical tradition, but he also moonlights as a foreign-policy commentator for the likes of The Independent and The National. It’s perhaps unsurprising, considering he’s the son of an Emirati diplomat and grew up living on several different continents. These days, the 31-year-old may be based in New York, but […]
Saudi Arabia’s push to boost political and trade ties with the Maldives faces growing resistance as activists in the archipelago oppose plans for an ambitious development project funded by the kingdom. King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is on a month-long tour of Asia as Saudi Arabia seeks to deepen alliances with predominantly Muslim states in the region, is due to visit the Indian Ocean nation at the […]
ABU DHABI // Tobacco as well as fizzy and energy drinks are expected to be taxed this year, the Minister of State for Financial Affairs announced. Obaid Al Tayer was speaking on Wednesday as the Federal National Council approved a draft law that paves the way for value-added tax (VAT) and excise duties on selected items, by setting up a legal framework for taxation. While the GCC […]
